SixStringSamurai wrote:Wow...Japan played way better than expected...Like to see them play like this more often especially when they don’t sit back and actually attack the ball. Congrats to Belgium

it reminded me of South Korea vs Germany in 2002. Japan, just like South Korea, played a great game of direct counter attacking and creative soccer. Ultimately though, they simply weren't tall enough or big enough...deadballs and crosses are always going to be their downfall.

What a game! Best one of the WC so far. Almost ate my words with Belgium there. But they're such a talented team, I knew they had it in them to come back. Gotta give it to Japan. I think everyone, including Belgium, thought they were just going to play a defensive scheme and they played wide open and attacking soccer. Belgium has the scorers, though. Not sure they have the defense to slow down Brazil, but I also said four years ago I didn't think Germany would be able to keep up with Brazil's speed and look how that turned out. Gonna be a great game.

NavyBuc wrote:What a game! Best one of the WC so far. Almost ate my words with Belgium there. But they're such a talented team, I knew they had it in them to come back. Gotta give it to Japan. I think everyone, including Belgium, thought they were just going to play a defensive scheme and they played wide open and attacking soccer. Belgium has the scorers, though. Not sure they have the defense to slow down Brazil, but I also said four years ago I didn't think Germany would be able to keep up with Brazil's speed and look how that turned out. Gonna be a great game.

I think England has a decent shot now. Their team is sneaky good. Solid pretty much everywhere and deep with goal scorers between Kane, Sterling, Rashford, Vardy, and Welbeck.

I saw this posted on FB this morning and it reminded me of something I saw when I was in DC over the weekend.

Saturday afternoon, we went to a pub called Sticks near our hotel. Uruguay was playing Portugal on the TVs. I wasn't really paying much attention other than I had noted the score was 1-0 Uruguay at the time. The one time I actually paid attention, a flop occurred. A Portuguese player slightly hit a Uruguay player in the upper back area as both jumped to try and get their heads on a long pass. The Uruguay player flopped onto the ground holding the back of his head with a look of agony on his face. Replay's showed his head was never touched by the Portuguese player. Seems like anytime I pay attention to a soccer game anymore, similar crap happens. Is flopping really as common as the numerous jokes about it seem to make it out to be?

NavyBuc wrote:What a game! Best one of the WC so far. Almost ate my words with Belgium there. But they're such a talented team, I knew they had it in them to come back. Gotta give it to Japan. I think everyone, including Belgium, thought they were just going to play a defensive scheme and they played wide open and attacking soccer. Belgium has the scorers, though. Not sure they have the defense to slow down Brazil, but I also said four years ago I didn't think Germany would be able to keep up with Brazil's speed and look how that turned out. Gonna be a great game.

I think England has a decent shot now. Their team is sneaky good. Solid pretty much everywhere and deep with goal scorers between Kane, Sterling, Rashford, Vardy, and Welbeck.

Holding my breath on England. While I would love to see them make it to the final, especially since I'm going to be in England at the time of the WC Final, they've underachieved so much in past World Cups that I feel like it's a curse. They have no easy games. They're prolly better than Colombia and Sweden and possibly Croatia, but not by much. All those games can easily go the other way.

Zarniwoop wrote:Colombia is a bunch of pansies ... shameful shameful so far

Agree. Just when I thought Brazil was the biggest cry-babies in soccer, Colombia comes and takes that title away. Every single call they were in the referee's face complaining. Even the announcers noticed it at the end of the game when they said, "Wow, Colombia's actually not contesting a call for a change."

He had an impossible task today, his mistake was treating the players like men

Colombia should have had at LEAST two players sent off. His mistake was standing there and doing nothing while the players shoved him all over the pitch.

That was preposterous. And without mentioning the Colombian coach throwing a shoulder/elbow in to Sterling on the way off the field at half time, right in front of the fourth official no less, and the fourth official just kind of gives him the ol' finger wag. Like, for **** sake, it's the Colombian strength coach or some ****. Send his ass to the stands.

Like I said on here a few days ago, all these announcers are fawning over France-Brazil and forgetting about Belgium. That's why. They can score and they have a hell of a keeper and that was on display today. What an absolute exhibition by Courtois.